Salinity goes from 1.023 to 1.029

[GregDaKeg]

Until the water turned to almost clear

I did than many times. Now I always wait at least 24 hours. The suspended salt may have thrown off your readings.

 

[Grizzly5O]

Calibrate and recheck after 12-24 hrs. First calibrate with RO water at ZERO then solution at 35 ppt then try again with measurement

Sounds good I will do that thank you!

 

[rmurken]

This sounds like a problem I have had. Consider whether the problem might be your refractometer—specifically, the heating and cooling of the internal optics as you handle it between measurements.

I use a terrible, cheap refractometer, but make it work. It supposedly has automatic temperature control, but the readings bounce all over the place even if I just warm it in my hand for 20 or 30 seconds.

To get around this, I check it with 35ppt calibration fluid every time I use it. Then I check my sample against whatever reading it gave for the calibration solution. If they’re the same, great. Otherwise, I know to adjust up or down. I try not to handle the refractometer too much (body heat), and I don’t bother actually calibrating the thing.

I run my tank at 35ppt, so I just want to know whether my water is as refractive as the calibration solution. Even a cheap, uncalibrated refractometer can tell you that.

Edit: try watching the reading as you hold the refractometer for a minute or two. See if the measurement drops (heating should cause it to read lower and lower). If you see that happening, I bet that’s the issue.

 

[Grizzly5O]

This sounds like a problem I have had. Consider whether the problem might be your refractometer—specifically, the heating and cooling of the internal optics as you handle it between measurements.

I use a terrible, cheap refractometer, but make it work. It supposedly has automatic temperature control, but the readings bounce all over the place even if I just warm it in my hand for 20 or 30 seconds.

To get around this, I check it with 35ppt calibration fluid every time I use it. Then I check my sample against whatever reading it gave for the calibration solution. If they’re the same, great. Otherwise, I know to adjust up or down. I try not to handle the refractometer too much (body heat), and I don’t bother actually calibrating the thing.

I run my tank at 35ppt, so I just want to know whether my water is as refractive as the calibration solution. Even a cheap, uncalibrated refractometer can tell you that.

Edit: try watching the reading as you hold the refractometer for a minute or two. See if the measurement drops (heating should cause it to read lower and lower). If you see that happening, I bet that’s the issue.

I will definitely check this out now that I think about I had my windows in the house open and the temp dropped to 58 degrees overnight so that probably my issue I will now more later this afternoon thank you!

 

[BeejReef]

Kind of been said, but a real big variable is how long you mix for.

For me, newly mixed water usually tests higher. Lets say I warm the water up, have the mixing pump on, and dump in my salt til it gets to 35ppt.. If I test it the following day (mixing the whole time) it will read 32.

Also, anytime you're testing a lot, rinsing the refracto a lot, adjusting, calibrating... it all goes to heck. Try to use it once or twice, cold and dry.

 

[Grizzly5O]

Hey everyone thanks for the help after numerous checking in everything recommended, turned out I had a bad refractometer from Red Sea and was able to get it replaced and that fixed the issue, just lucky my salinity wasn’t deadly etc. actually was in the right parameters.